Flying Visits
by musicanne
Summary: Newt's departure has left a certain crack in Tina's heart, so she gets herself a little distraction... -Tina/Percival-
1. Chapter 1

For one moment, one brief moment, she thought Newt would turn around but then he straightened up, vanished into the huff and the moment was over.  
It hurt. And it irritated her. She'd always been a tough woman, standing on her own feet, not being dependent on anyone (a man least of all).  
Then why was it different this time? What distinguished that British guy, that strange globetrotter with his magical, brown suitcase, from all the other men she'd met before?  
Well, she wouldn't find out any time soon. Yeah, he promised to visit, to come back, but could you truly rely on something unsteady and fleeting like mere words? Newt's first priority were his extraordinary creatures, how could she possibly think that there was a place for her left in his world?  
Angrily she shook her head as if she wanted these depressing thoughts to be chucked out. Out of her head, her heart and her life.

She slowly strolled back to her apartment at 679 West 24th Street, watching the passing crowds. Masses of No-majs were heading through the streets like harried ants.  
Unimaginable, that within an inch, the biggest secret of all could have been revealed to the whole world. It would have ended in a disaster if Newt hadn't fixed everything with the help of Frank the Thunderbird.  
Aaahh! Again! She couldn't lock him out of her thoughts. It was goddam impossible!  
Her pace became faster and she narrowed her sight onto the pavement. Today was definitely not her day.

As she pushed open the door to her and Queenie's apartment, the smell of a delicious strudel welcomed her followed by a staggering hug. Queenie…  
»Oh dear! I'm so sorry! I know how you feel, really. It's just like Jacob and me, you see? But look, at least he remembers who you are, so it could be worse and-«  
»Queenie! Please, shut up! And stop reading my mind!« Tina hissed.  
The blond woman had literally talked a mile a minute and even if she only wanted to comfort her sister, Tina felt rather overwhelmed by the sudden attack. What she needed was distraction and definitely not a sister who reminded her constantly of what had happened.  
Queenie's face turned even sadder and Tina could easily tell how much she hurt her sister with her words. She instantly regretted what she said.  
»Oh Queenie! I'm so sorry! It's just…«  
»…difficult?« Queenie finished, a slight smile on her lips.  
»Yeah.«  
The two sisters hugged once more but this time honestly and longer.  
As they separated, the blond witch smiled broadly and showed Tina enthusiastically into the kitchen where one of Queenie's famous strudels was waiting on the table.  
»Looks fantastic« Tina said trying to force a smile. She obviously failed but Queenie didn't seem to be offended. She just softly squeezed her hand.  
»Come on. It's filled with mustard and berries. You'll love it!«

After they'd finished eating, Tina decided to show up at work although she had taken the day off. She just had to do something, to distract herself a bit.  
Now that everything was back to normal, she had reclaimed her former position as an Auror. She loved her job and it'd been a shock when she'd been demoted to a Federal Wand Permit Officer. Getting her former job back was at least some sort of consolation.  
When she arrived at the Magical Congress of the United States of America something felt strange. People seemed to be oddly jittery and you could hear excited voices whispering about the latest news.  
»Hey Abernathy! What's going on? Has something happened?« Tina asked the young wizard who had obviously a crush on Queenie.  
Her sister was totally aware of this and had taken advantage of it several times in the past but Abernathy was just too sweet and gullible to see through it.  
Surprised he stared at her as if he'd seen a No-maj.  
»Haven't you heard it yet? They found Graves, the real Graves! He was captured in his penthouse« Abernathy said.  
Well, _that_ was a surprise. Tina hadn't dared to hope that Grindelwald had spared Percival's life.  
»That's…that's fantastic! Where is he now?« Tina spluttered, joy and relief floating through her body.  
»At home. Rumors say that his condition isn't stable yet. Grindelwald didn't kill him but he made sure that Graves was incapacitated. He'll need some rest.«  
Tina nodded and sputtered a short »Thanks« and »See ya!« then she headed out of the building.

It had started to rain and millions of small drops were falling from grey clouds down onto New York. Glad about being a witch, she dissapparated and appeared in a fraction of a second near Central Park. In front of her towered one of the breathtaking skyscrapers New York was so famous for. Graves' penthouse on its top.  
Percival Graves, Director of Magical Security and head of MACUSA's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was obvious that he earned a sizable fortune thus he could easily afford amenities Tina could only dream of. So it was no surprise that he didn't live in a small Brownstone like herself but in an expensive apartment high above New York's streets.

Now that she eyed her surroundings, she noticed the groups of journalists which were lingering around the building. Wizard journalists, of course.  
Doubt spread through her body. Would she get into the building? Was she even allowed to?  
Now that she thought of it, she realized how naïve she'd been to come here. She was neither a relative nor important enough to gain access. She was just a mere employee, so why would she be permitted to visit a famous Auror like Percival Graves.  
It's been a silly idea.

She just wanted to turn away and dissapparate once more, when a familiar voice shouted her name.  
»Tina! What are you doing here?« It was Francis Mayer, a fellow Auror.  
»Oh…Hey Francis. I've just wanted to visit Mr. Graves…see if he's all right but…yeah, I think that's an absurd idea.«  
She felt extremely awkward, so she tried to laugh which only made the situation even worse. Francis however didn't seem to notice her flushed cheeks and high pitched voice (at least he didn't say something about it). He was truly a kindhearted colleague.  
»No, no! That is absolutely fine. I mean…he is our boss so it's just normal to be worried. Journalists aren't allowed to come in but I think it's no problem if you want stop by. His condition isn't too bad, a Healer left a few minutes ago. The door to his apartment should be open. Colin and I have to guard the entry so…do you want to slip through?« Francis smiled broadly, a small twinkle sparkling in his eyes. Tina thankfully returned the smile, this time an honest one.  
»What would I do without you?« She sighed.  
»Well, we don't want to find out, do we?« He grinned and showed her to the entrance of the building where Colin Jones was already waiting for Francis to return.  
Tina greeted the young Auror who instantly stepped aside to let her in.  
»Ah…yeah, Tina?«  
Surprised she turned around to face Francis one more time.  
»I'm glad you're back.«  
Once more she smiled at him, this time without a comment.  
Then she entered the rattling elevator. The machine woke with a jolt and began hoisting up the cage. It was quite fascinating how No-majs managed to compensate their lack of magic. It was definitely not as comfortable and fast as magic but it was a start.

After a few minutes the elevator stopped with another jolt, allowing Tina to open the bars which cordoned off the cage.  
She hadn't been here before but since there was only one door in front of her, she literally couldn't go wrong. However, now that she had reached her goal, a certain uncertainty grew inside her.  
Why had she come anyway? Mr. Graves was surly not overly pleased to be annoyed by her. Even if his condition wasn't critical anymore, he certainly wanted to rest. Has her need of distraction really gone so far? Yeah, he was her boss, and yeah, she was worried, but if she was completely honest with herself, her intentions were rather selfish.  
Otherwise, she got so far, why retreat?

So she encouraged herself and knocked carefully at the door. _Silence._ She knocked a second time, a bit louder than before. _No reaction.  
_ Excellent! What should she do now?  
Option one: going home and forgetting this whole thing  
Option two: looking if the door was open and invading somebody's privacy  
Tina sighed. She would definitely regret it…  
She slowly put down the door knob. _Knack.  
_ The door gently swung open, allowing her to enter.

The interior was stunning. The rooms were spacious and bright. The furnishings were obviously especially designed for this apartment and everything seemed to be fastidiously arranged and neatly cleaned.  
Tina had expected something like that but reality surpassed her imagination by far.  
Cautiously she tiptoed through the penthouse, taking care that she wasn't too loud, in case Mr. Graves was sleeping.  
She had already opened several doors, when she finally found the bedroom. As expected, the owner of the apartment was sleeping.  
The first thing Tina noticed, was his sweaty face which was alarmingly pale.  
Concern floated through her. Was he really alright?

Tina slowly drew closer to her boss until she stopped beside his bed. She briefly hesitated, then she lowered her hand onto his forehead. It was alarmingly hot.  
With a gentle gesture of her wand, Tina charmed a wet towel. She carefully folded it and placed it on his pale skin.  
He looked so frail, so weak. She knew him as a strong, confident man, seeing him in such a way felt wrong.  
Once more, she swung her wand, this time a flower bouquet in a vase appeared which she quietly put on the table next to his bed.  
She glimpsed at her boss one last time, then she turned around and tiptoed out of the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

»Tina? You're already leaving?« Queenie's voice echoed out of the kitchen.  
»Yeah, I'm…ohm…quite busy at the moment. You know, work and stuff« Tina replied, though she was totally aware of the fact that Queenie already knew what she was going to do.  
»Oh, I see…Stuff, hmm, nice description. Send him my regards!« she said in her sirupy voice.  
 _Damned Legilimency!  
_ Giggles.

As Tina reached the enormous building, day was already dawning and the first sunbeams started to illuminate the city. A hasty glance at her watch told her, that she had about fifteen minutes. That would do nicely.  
Unlike yesterday, no one was here, no journalists, no Aurors, just her. Glad that there were no controls or other inconveniences, she slipped through the big door and headed towards the elevator.

After she had seen Mr. Graves the day before, her concern had only grown over night. Magical medicines were extremely efficient, thus finding him in such a feverish condition as yesterday meant, that he must have been seriously injured when they'd found him.  
When she'd arrived at home, she'd decided to come back before work, so she could see if everything was okay. Tina didn't believe that the fever was completely gone but she hoped, that his condition was at least a bit better.

When she arrived at the top, her knocking once again remained unanswered. Just like yesterday, she tried to open the door but this time, it was locked.  
Well, what now? She wasn't that kind of person who could be hold back by a closed door so her decision was quickly made.  
» _Alohomora_ «  
Instantly a quiet _klick_ assured her, that the charm had worked and she could enter.

It didn't surprise her to find Mr. Graves fast asleep.  
Unlike yesterday, his face wasn't covered with sweat anymore. His skin, however, was still pretty pale.  
The next thing she noticed, was the fact, that the towel she had put on his forehead was gone. Certainly some Mediwizards had been here after she'd left yesterday. They or someone else must have removed it. The flowers on the contrary were still here though.

Slowly she kneeled down, trying to be as quiet as possible. Again, she touched his skin to check if he was still feverish. His condition was much better than the day before but his body temperature was still a bit too hot for her liking.  
At least his expression looked much calmer than yesterday. She sighed in relief, leaning her back against the wall.  
Now that she had a closer look at him, he almost seemed to be relaxed. His breath was deep and steady. No muscle in his face seemed to be tensed.  
Her gaze glided over his appearance. He was obviously older than her but nonetheless she had to admit, that he was quite handsome. His thick black hair and eyebrows stood out against his light skin creating an appealing contrast. Tina could mentally see the pitch black eyes which intensified his looks even more. These dark orbs she'd faced the last time when Grindelwald had transformed back into his true form. It had been quite a shock even though she'd already sensed, that something had been wrong with Graves recently. He'd been even more unapproachable than normally but what had made her suspicion deepen once for all, was the moment when he'd sentenced Newt and her to death. The real Percival Graves wouldn't have doomed them without further investigations or a trial. Yeah, he was a rather reserved and cold person but he was nonetheless a just and honorable man.

»Here again?« A voice came out of nowhere, making her cringe.  
»Francis! You've almost scared me to death!« Tina hissed whispering. »What are you even doing here?«  
»I could ask you the same question« he answered laughingly.  
A faint grumble from Mr. Graves kept her from replying. Instead, she stood up and walked towards her colleague who was waiting by the door.

»I'm here to see if everything's okay, and you?« she whispered.  
»Still making sure, that no-one disturbs the boss«  
»Well, then you've failed massively« Tina teased him.  
»I've just been away to buy a coffee when the alarm went off and I had to head back here. If I'd known, it's only you I wouldn't have hurried that much.«  
»You're an idiot.«  
»Always trying to give my best.«  
Tina rolled her eyes. Francis…

»So, since when are you so caring about Graves? Has something happened?« He grinned mischievously.  
»I don't know…just concerned, I mean, he had to deal with Grindelwald. It's almost a miracle that nothing worse has happened to him« she answered honestly.  
»Yeah, that's true but hey, he's our boss, he'll be fine.«  
Tina nodded while looking at her watch.  
» _Oh no!«_ She'd totally forgotten to take care of the time, she was going to be late!  
»Sorry Francis, I have to go! I'm already late!«  
Without a further word she headed out of the apartment and dissapparated once she was out of the building within which apparating was being disabled.

At the Congress, Seraphina Picquery herself was already waiting for her.  
»Tina! Come here. Since you wasn't working yesterday, I have to tell you something. Certainly you've already heard of Mr. Graves. I've ordered that Aurors observe the area around his home to assure nobody can harm him in his current situation. We've already dealt with those unpleasant journalists but you never know. There's a list at your office concerning the exact times you are on duty to guard the building. I hope that his condition improves as fast as possible but till then I want to ensure that nothing happens to him.«  
She was already walking away, when she suddenly stopped without turning around.  
»Ah yes…Please be on time in the future.« Then she was gone.

Embarrassed Tina hurried to her office, where she plunked into the chair. It's been a busy time recently. Aurors had to make sure, Grindelwald hadn't left some sort of accomplices behind which was quite difficult because they didn't have much information about his American network. Literally everyone who had talked to him in his disguised form was a potential accomplice.

»Morning« Colin entered the room, carrying a pile of documents.  
»Morning…what's that?« Tina asked.  
»Files of further suspects.«  
Tina immediately noticed that he seemed to be tired. There were deep rings beneath his eyes which were slightly reddened.  
»Haven't been sleeping much, hm?«  
»Yeah…I had to patrol last night. Francis took over from me one hour ago.«  
He put the pile onto the desk and fell into the chair opposite to Tina.  
»How many this time?«  
»42«  
Tina sighed. It wasn't allowed to specifically use Legilimency during investigations unless the States or the wizarding world were in imminent danger. So it was difficult to detect, if someone sympathized with Grindelwald.  
»We haven't detected anything yet and we won't in the future.«  
Tina's mood was at rock bottom. She hated this kind of work. She wanted to be outside, to work in the field, anything as long as it wasn't some boring paperwork.  
»Probably« the young wizard agreed.  
»Then let's get it over with«

Ten hours and several documents later, Tina put away the file she was currently occupied with. And what a surprise, they hadn't found anything. Colin had already left two hours ago and she too felt the tiredness creeping through her body by now.  
She was almost out of the office, when she remembered the list the president had talked about. So she went back to her desk, looking for the list which she found under a pack of files.  
Curiously she ran through the document…and was relieved she did. Her first patrol would start tomorrow morning at 6am.


	3. Chapter 3

It was around 5am when Tina was woken by her magical alarm clock. Irritated she pointed her wand at the playing harp which floated about two meters above the floor. Currently it was playing a nice melody, enchanting and harmonic. In less than three minutes however, the instrument would change into a crowing cock and in further three minutes into a bucket of cold water. Tina had experienced the last form of the alarm clock only once but she had no ambition to enjoy it a second time.

After she'd washed and dressed herself, she made a small breakfast. Queenie was still sleeping when Tina left their apartment.

It was freezing cold and dark outside. Billions of tiny snowflakes had covered New York over night, turning the grey city into pure white.

Tina had planned to apparate to her new workplace but seeing the enchanting winter wonderland instantly changed her plans. There was enough time left to walk, so she buttoned her coat and started strolling down the street. Every step was followed by the distinctive sound of crisping snow beneath her feet, creating a relaxing rhythm. After just a few seconds, her thoughts wandered off.

She hadn't been sleeping well. In her dreams, Grindelwald had haunted her through eerily empty and dark streets, while hurling curses over curses after her. She had been frightened, more than ever before. No matter how fast she'd been running, he'd always been just a few meters behind her. She hadn't dared to turn around, so she'd only heard his voice.

»You cannot run forever!« he'd shouted. Then he'd laughed, a bitter, cold laugh without any glimpse of mirth.

Tears had streamed over Tina's face, turning her vision blurry.

A red flash had flamed up and she'd been dashed against the cold street. She'd screamed, every muscled tensed and tears still streaming out of her eyes. She'd cried for help, cried for Newt but he hadn't been there. The last thing she remembered, was the soft touch of a hand on her shaking shoulders. Then she'd been woken up by the magical harp.

An unwanted feeling of loneliness spread through her body. The short time with Newt, Jacob and all those magical creatures had been busy as hell but it had also been strangely comforting and enjoyable. Now this time resembled a dream itself. Jacob had been obliviated and Newt was gone…

Suddenly the temperature felt much colder than before.

When she arrived at the familiar skyscraper, the currently patrolling Auror was already waiting outside the building. She just muttered a short »Morning« and nodded as her colleague greeted in return. Then the Auror disapparated and Tina entered the building.

A comfortable warmth welcomed her in, making her realize how cold she'd actually been.

She didn't believe that this whole patrolling thing would turn out to be very busy and she doubted, that something exciting would happen but hey, it was ordered by the President herself and she wouldn't risk losing her position again by complaining about this assignment.

Her instructions said, that she had to guard the entrance of the building till noon, then somebody would come to relieve her. So she made her way through the foyer to a pair of chairs and a table. It was virtually impossible to enter the building through a window thanks to powerful charms, which left only the entrance door and a backdoor. Both had been enchanted, so that every person entering and leaving through one of these doors would be registered. Due to these precautions, Tina's morning promised to become rather uneventful, not to say boring.

Once every hour she would take a stroll around the block to make sure that nothing suspicious escaped her notice and in the meantime she would sort through further files.

Two hours and multiple documents later, a Healer arrived to look at Mr. Graves. Out of curiosity Tina accompanied him to the penthouse.

Mr. Graves still hasn't left his bed, so she waited outside his bedroom while the Healer was examining his medical condition.

Awkwardly she stood beside the door, taking in the interior of Mr. Graves apartment. It was sparsely furnished, so it appeared to be even bigger than it already was. The ebony parquet floor seemed to be meticulously polished, the few pieces of furniture neatly arranged. It didn't surprise Tina. She knew Mr. Graves as an always well-dressed and well-groomed man, who did his work in an enviably fastidious way. It seemed only natural that his apartment reflected his personality and orderliness. She couldn't help but think of Mr. Graves as the complete opposite of Newt. Newt was the living embodiment of disorder. „Chaotic" couldn't describe him in the least. But he radiated honesty and joy of living. Newt didn't feign to be a person he wasn't, to please society. Maybe that was what had impressed her the most.

And now he was gone.

»He is awake. You can talk to him if you want to, his condition is much better than yesterday.«

The voice of the Healer broke the silence, preventing her from thinking further about Newt. She nodded and watched him leaving the penthouse.

She wasn't sure what she should say to Mr. Graves. He was her boss and they weren't _that_ familiar. She had the uncomfortable feeling that it would get rather awkward if she entered his bedroom to see for herself if he was getting better. On the other hand, she wouldn't hesitate to look after Newt…

Sighing she straightened and then knocked at the door to his bedroom. There was a short pause, then she could hear a faint approval.

Quietly she entered the room, noticing that her heart-rate strangely increased. She would be lying if she said that she didn't respect him deeply.

»Miss Goldstein?«

His voice was weak but she was relieved to see him sitting upright in bed. His face seemed to be thinner than before but his skin color was back to normal.

»Good morning Mr. Graves! I hope you're feeling well« she said quietly, not sure if she should get closer to him.

»Better than before…What are you doing here?«

»I'm on duty to guard the building. The President herself ordered monitoring the neighborhood in case some of Grindelwald's supporter try to harm you while you're weakened.«

Graves just nodded. An awkward pause followed during which both of them kept quiet. She had feared that it would end in a situation like this. Both staring at each other, not sure how to end this miserable excuse of a conversation.

Franticly she thought about something she could say, she could ask, but she didn't want to distress him with questions about his captivity.

»So you…you've reclaimed your position as an Auror?«

»Yes! I'm really grateful that I can serve in your department again. I mean…if you still want to work as an Auror after what happened…« Internally Tina cursed herself. Why for Merlins sake did she have to remind him of Grindelwald? Hadn't she agreed not to talk about that just a few seconds ago?

»Miss Goldstein. I've always been perfectly aware of the consequences my job offers. I've also been aware of the fact, that I could get seriously hurt or in the worst case killed because of my job. I live to serve the Law, Miss Goldstein. I'm not going to back down because of what happened.«

Tina didn't expect such a passionate outburst. She was simultaneously impressed and oddly intimidated by his fervor. Just now he didn't seem to be recovering from serious wounds and malnutrition, at this moment he was the charismatic and diligent Director of Magical Security she remembered him to be.

»I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to indicate-«

He interrupted her with a gesture of his hand.

»I didn't think of it as such.«

Embarrassed, Tina nodded.

»I have to get back down to the entrance.« And in a softer tone she added »Get well soon«

Without waiting for an answer she turned around to leave the room. However, before she could close the door he raised his voice one more time.

»Tina…Thank you for your concern.«

Smiling she left the apartment.


End file.
